Thursday, April 02, 2015

Delayed birth certificate bill goes to governor

Delayed birth certificate bill goes to governor

STATE
CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Today, the Arizona House of Representatives passed a Senate
bill identical to the one sponsored by Rep. Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels
(District 7), which would codify recent action by the Arizona Department of
Health Services to make it easier for Native Americans to obtain a delayed
birth certificate in the state.

“The Senate bill is now identical to the bill I introduced
and which this House passed in February,” Hale said, adding that his bill was
held in the Senate for “political reasons.”

“It’s the game we play here,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter.
This change is needed by many of the people in my district. And we have been
working on this issue for years.”

This bill would make permanent the Arizona Department of
Health Services policy that streamlined the process for Native Americans to
receive delayed birth certificates. Previously, getting a delayed birth
certificate required producing multiple forms of verification that a person was
born at a specific time and place. Many Native Americans are born at home
and do not get a birth certificate issued at the time of birth, and securing
the necessary documentation is often difficult. A birth certificate is
important documentation for receiving social security and other benefits.

Hale recognized the efforts of Coconino County Supervisor
Lena Fowler in crafting the legislation. Fowler highlighted the difficulties
people face trying to collect the documentation currently needed.

“Native Americans from all reaches of our state have to make
several trips to Phoenix and produce various documents to verify that they were
born at a specific time and place. It is not uncommon that many of them speak
no English. Some are among the most traditional Native Americans and should be
considered living treasures. In case after case, it was apparent that all the requirements
were both overwhelming and incomprehensible,” she said. “This legislation will
improve the quality of life for Native Americans in all 22 tribes in Arizona,
and it will allow many people to prove their citizenship and their eligibility
for services.”

Several of Hale’s colleagues thanked him and Fowler for
their work. Rep. Jennifer Benally, D-Tuba City (District 7), is a former Navajo
Nation district court judge. She said some people spent years trying to get
their birth certificates.

“As a judge, I saw people in my court stuck in the process
of getting a birth certificate for up to 15 years,” Benally said. “Sometimes,
they just gave up. This legislation is very important, and Supervisor Fowler
and Rep. Hale have been working on it for years. I am grateful for their
efforts.”

Rep.
Hale is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He was born in Ganado and
raised in Klagetoh, Arizona. He is Ashiihi (Salt), born for Todichiini (Bitter
Water). His maternal grandparents are Hanaghani (Walk About clan). His paternal
grandparents are Kiyanii (Tall House clan). He is a 1969 graduate of Fort
Wingate High School, a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school located east of
Gallup, New Mexico. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State
University, Tempe, Arizona (1973), and a Juris Doctor degree from the
University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, New Mexico
(1977), and an honorary Juris Doctor degree from Phoenix School of Law
(2012). He is the former President of the Navajo Nation.